Entangled
by pluviophilexx
Summary: Break up. Immerse yourself in work. Get dragged out one night for drinks. That one night leads to something Hermione Granger could never have seen coming, and for the first time in her life, she has no plan and decides to wing it. Sometimes it's best to think less. Rated M for language and future mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**AN** : To be quite honest, not really sure where this is headed but hopefully you guys can help me with that. It's more gratuitous than anything. Characters will probably be a bit OOC. We'll see. I like Hermione with options. Fair warning, this will most likely head into mature themes as it goes on.

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, both in reference to the world of JK Rowling and life in general. I'd be the worst person to rob/sue.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"You need to get out more," Ginny said casually, swirling the contents of her cocktail with a straw. "It's been near impossible to get you out of the house since the break-up."

"Well, I'm out right now," Hermione responded blandly, looking around the crowded bar with a frown. "Did it have to be on a weekend?"

"I tried making you come out during the week," Ginny reminded her. "You always used work as an excuse. This," she gestured vaguely to their surroundings. "Is all on you."

"Right," Hermione muttered, eyeing the people around her warily.

"Just try to relax and have some fun," Ginny smiled at her before motioning her hands to get the attention of the bartender. "You need a drink."

"I'm ok, really," Hermione protested, starting to miss her comfortable and worn-in couch.

"Not okay," Ginny replied quickly as the bartender approached them with a charming smile, taking no notice of the other patrons vying for his attention.

"What can I get for you ladies?"

"My friend here will have a shot of a hard liquor of your choice," Ginny flashed him a brilliant smile. "I'm sure you won't disappoint."

"Well, the thing is," the bartender winked at Ginny before leaning in towards Hermione. "If you're disappointed, then I'd have no choice but to give it to you on the house."

"Ah, then I feel like I must let you know that we are _very_ hard to please," Ginny laughed, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder.

"I'm always up for a challenge," the bartender grinned, displaying his prominent dimples. "I'll be right back, ladies."

"Ginny," Hermione stared at her friend as the bartender walked away.

"Yes?"

"May I remind you of a certain someone? Disheveled dark hair, glasses, a very distinct lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead? Goes by the name of Harry Potter?"

"Hm," Ginny tapped her fingers against her head, frowning in concentration. "Vaguely familiar name… It does ring a bell."

"Ginny!"

"Oh, lighten up, Hermione," Ginny laughed. "It was just a little harmless flirting. Don't tell me you've never had the pleasure of participating in a little bit of light banter!"

"It's misleading," Hermione frowned. "Is Harry okay with that?"

"Well, he doesn't like it," Ginny shrugged. "But he does it, too, sometimes even right in front of me just to get a rise out of me."

"That sounds unhealthy," Hermione laughed, shaking her head.

"Angry sex is just as good as the make-up sex, you know," Ginny winked at her friend who blushed.

"Too much information," Hermione grimaced.

"It's honestly fine," Ginny smiled softly at the thought of her boyfriend. "Harry's the only one for me. He knows that."

"That's sweet," Hermione sighed, feeling a slight flare of jealousy. "I thought that it would be like that with Ron, you know. We grew up together, had feelings for one another…"

"He still loves you, you know," Ginny rubbed Hermione's shoulder. "Maybe not romantically but you're still one of his best friends."

"I know that," Hermione replied. "I don't love him like that either but I guess since everyone expected us to be together, I always thought it meant that it was… meant to be, in a way."

"So… You've only ever been with Ron…" Ginny seemed to talk to herself, as an understanding started to spread through her eyes.

"Ginny, I love you, but I don't think I want to discuss sex with Ron with you."

"Ugh, no," Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I just realized you've probably never had the chance to even flirt with other guys since you and my brother have been together since Hogwarts."

"Well, he had Lavender," Hermione reminded her.

"Yeah, about that," Ginny bit her lip, contemplating how to word her next sentence. "I thought you should know that the two have somewhat… rekindled their romance."

"Oh," Hermione's eyes opened in surprise, anticipating that flare of jealousy. Surprisingly, all she felt was a small twinge of annoyance.

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked, worried.

"Surprisingly fine," Hermione shrugged. "It's just… Lavender."

"Yeah," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Not my favorite person."

Hermione just gave Ginny a small smile as the bartender returned with a shot glass and a bottle of… tequila.

"Tequila?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at the bartender who just flashed her a grin.

"You seem like you could loosen up a bit," the bartender replied, pouring out a shot. "It's never failed me so far."

"Well, never had tequila before, so," Hermione reached for the shot, taking off the lime wedge from the edge of the shot glass. "How does this work?"

"Tequila then the lime," the bartender leaned over the counter, resting his arms on the surface. "It's always fun to watch someone try tequila for the first time."

"Don't you have other customers to help?"

"There are other bartenders," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright then," Hermione smiled weakly raising the glass to the bartender and Ginny before throwing it back as quickly as possible, trying not to let the taste of it hit her tongue.

It did.

"Ugh," Hermione's face scrunched up as she quickly bit down on the lime wedge. Hm, not bad.

"And the verdict, my lady?" The bartender grinned at her.

"Name's Hermione," Hermione replied, pushing the shot glass back to the bartender, grinning back. "And it was absolutely _horrid_."

"Ah, that just won't do, _Hermione_ ," the bartender sighed dramatically. "Let's try something else."

"Take your time, Mr. Bartender," Hermione replied.

"Andrew," the bartender smiled, pointing at himself.

"Andrew," Hermione smiled sweetly. "Try again."

"I'll be right back," Andrew saluted the two girls. "Don't move."

Hermione laughed as Ginny looked at her friend, a small knowing smile on her face as she rested her head on her hand.

"What?" Hermione rolled her eyes at the grin on Ginny's face.

"He's cute, isn't he?"

"He's okay," Hermione replied nonchalantly.

"Right," Ginny deadpanned. "You know, guys with great hair, cutting jawline, piercing eyes, and dimples are really so overrated."

"Are you sure you're not the one harboring a crush?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, shut it," Ginny scowled before quickly turning into a smile as Andrew approached them with a bottle of whiskey.

"That's more like it," Hermione grinned at him.

"Ah, so the lady approves?" Andrew grinned. "Glass or another shot?"

"Glass, please."

"On the rocks or neat?"

"Neat."

"Two fingers of whiskey enough?"

"Make it three."

"Well, I may just be in love with you."

Hermione laughed as Andrew poured the drink, winking at her as he did so.

"Thank you, Andrew," Hermione took the glass, grinning. "I see it's a good one."

"So can I assume you're satisfied?" Andrew asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I am," Hermione replied after taking a sip. "I don't need to start a tab or anything so if you can just get me the check, I'll be sure to leave you a nice tip."

"Right, then," Ginny spoke up, leaning on the counter. "Open a tab for me, then, will you, Andrew? I was promised a night out and we've only been here for an hour."

"How much are you planning on drinking?" Hermione stared at Ginny incredulously as Andrew chuckled.

"Well, as much as my body will allow before turning against me!"

"This was going to be it for me," Hermione held up her glass.

"Nope," Ginny shook her head. "I don't mind paying for the drinks but that is not all you're drinking tonight."

"Ginny, my tolerance for alcohol has gone down considerably."

"We can fix that," Ginny replied, tapping on her now empty glass and Andrew nodded and winked before fixing her up another drink.

"It's not something I need fixed," Hermione rolled her eyes, casually sipping on her drink.

"How are you feeling, Hermione?" Ginny suddenly asked, turning to her.

"Fine," Hermione frowned at the abrupt question. "A bit hot, but otherwise, fine."

"Yes, about that," Ginny paused to thank Andrew for the drink as he handed it to her before turning to help other patrons. "Why the bloody hell are you wearing a sweater in the middle of summer?"

"It's a thin sweater," Hermione replied reproachfully. She looked down at her sweater, a light blue crew neck sweater. It was comfortable and she thought the sky-blue color was very summery.

"Are you wearing anything underneath that sweater?"

"Er, yes, a camisole," Hermione looked at Ginny suspiciously, her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Hm, let's go to the loo for a quick second," Ginny hopped off the bar stool before downing her drink in gulps.

"Ginny!"

"Come on, you too," Ginny grinned, starting to feel the alcohol take effect.

"No," Hermione shook her head defiantly. "This is good whiskey."

"I'll get you another one later," Ginny pleaded. "Please? For me? The friend you refused to come out with for _months_?"

"Ugh," Hermione stared at Ginny's wide eyes, feeling her defenses crumbling. "Alright, fine, but you owe me!"

Hermione stared down at her drink, resisting the urge to apologize to it, and closed her eyes before finishing off her drink.

"Now what?" Hermione grimaced, putting the empty glass on the counter. "Why are we going to the loo? Why do I have to come with you?"

"Just come on," Ginny laughed, grabbing Hermione's hand, dragging her to the back of the bar.

"In you go," Ginny opened the door to the restroom before lightly nudging Hermione in, following in after her.

"Ginny," Hermione said questioningly, watching Ginny go through the stalls to make sure they were empty. "What are you doing?"

Ginny didn't reply, just whirling around on Hermione, snapping her fingers.

Hermione felt a sudden chill. She looked down to see that her sweater was gone, the only thing covering the top part of her body a thin and loose satin camisole. Without a bra. Because she stupidly thought she wouldn't need it.

"Ginny!" Hermione shrieked, swatting her friend on the arm. "Did you just vanish my sweater?!"

"Yeap," Ginny replied, looking smug.

"Ginny, for Merlin's sake," Hermione growled, covering herself with her arms. "You can cast an _Evanesco_ nonverbally without a wand?!"

"Use it often enough," Ginny shrugged. "Need to go wardrobe shopping for Harry almost every other week."

"Too much information," Hermione glared at Ginny who just grinned back at her mischievously.

"Hm," Ginny looked Hermione up and down. "Dark green top with black jeans… it's a bit Slytherin but it works."

"I actually really liked that sweater," Hermione frowned, looking down at her outfit.

"I'm sure I can find you another one," Ginny replied before taking hold of Hermione's hands and leading her out of the restroom.

"It does feel a bit nicer," Hermione admitted to Ginny as they walked back to the bar. The flush of heat from the alcohol started to spread throughout her body and the soft breeze that the loose camisole allowed felt nice along with the touch of the satin hitting her skin.

"Of course it does, and you look amazing, by the way," Ginny smiled at her. They reached the bar and almost immediately, two men approached them, confident smiles in place.

"Hello, ladies," the taller of the two men spoke first, flashing them both a smile before motioning over a bartender. "Could we get two vodka cranberries for these lovely ladies? Don't be stingy with the vodka."

Hermione and Ginny glanced at each other quickly before turning their attention back to the strangers standing in front of them.

"Thank you, but we can manage—" Ginny started to say before a drink was pushed into her hands.

"Ah, but it would be impolite to refuse a free drink," the other man interrupted, smiling almost menacingly at her.

"Thank you for the drink," Hermione smiled insincerely at the tall man who handed her the drink. "We'll be sure to enjoy it but if you'll excuse us," she grabbed Ginny's hand and tried to maneuver her way around the men.

"Hold on," the tall man grabbed her wrist. "If we had the decency to buy you drinks, you should be decent enough to keep us company for a while."

"We didn't want these bloody drinks," Ginny glared at the man as Hermione pulled her wrist back.

"Here," Hermione shoved the drink back into the man's chest. "Have your bloody drink back and leave us the fuck alone."

"Dirty mouth, you got there," the tall man grinned, gripping the hand wrapped around the drink, forcefully pushed against his chest. "Best not get any drink on my shirt, love. It was quite expensive."

"It looks like some kind of polyester blend," a voice drawled from their right. "Hardly expensive. Or maybe it is for you?"

The group of four looked to the owner of the voice and Hermione resisted the urge to groan.

What the hell was Draco Malfoy doing at a muggle bar?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN** : Wasn't expecting so many follows for a story I'm writing on a whim! Thank you for the interest and I hope I don't disappoint! I'll be trying to update at least once a week but please bear with me if I miss a week.

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 **Chapter Two**

"Trouble, mate?"

Hermione did let out a small groan at the sight of Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott sauntering up next to Malfoy, eyeing the two men next to them distastefully.

"Trouble, Granger? Weaselette?" Draco countered in the direction of the two girls.

"No," Ginny replied defiantly.

"Just a tip, mates," Blaise grinned lazily at the two men who seemed to be sizing up the three intruding men. "These two are probably the last people you want to piss off."

"Why don't the three of you piss off," the shorter of the two men stepped forward, fixing a menacing glare on his face. "And find your own women?"

"Well, that's the problem," Theo walked up to Hermione and casually flung an arm around her shoulder. "These women are here with us. Isn't that right, love? Were you two waiting long?"

"No," Hermione shook her head, playing along, plastering a shy smile on her face as she leaned into Nott's side. "You came just in time."

"If you'll excuse us," Blaise put an arm around Ginny, maneuvering her away from the men.

"You didn't really need to do that," Hermione looked up at Theo as they continued to walk towards a table. "And I think this table is reserved."

"We reserved it, Granger," Draco replied casually, sitting down into the circular booth. "It's reserved for us every week."

"What," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Three Purebloods reserving a table at a muggle bar every week?"

The three men shrugged as they got comfortable in the booth.

"It keeps us away from the wizarding community's prying eyes," Theodore leaned back, raising an eyebrow at the two girls just standing in front of the table. "Are you two going to sit or what?"

"Um," Hermione glanced at Ginny uncertainly. A casual night out with three former Slytherins was not how she expected to spend her night.

"Well," Ginny looked back at the two men who were still standing near the bar, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "I guess we can sit for a drink or two."

"We won't bite," Blaise grinned at the girls. "You Gryffindors are just too easy to read. Uncomfortable with the idea of spending time with us?"

"We hardly have anything in common to talk about," Ginny rolled her eyes before sitting next to Blaise.

"Have a seat, Granger," Theo patted the seat next to him. "I'll behave."

Hermione sat down reluctantly and the group sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Draco drawled sarcastically before getting the attention of a waitress.

"What can I get for you, Mr. Malfoy?" The waitress flashed him a flirty smile and wink.

"A round of vodka to start," Draco replied, looking around the table. "And then you can go ahead and bring us our usual whisky."

"I'll take a whisky as well," Hermione spoke up, still miffed at the fact that she was forced to gulp down her earlier whisky.

"I'll be back with those drinks," the waitress nodded before heading to the bar.

"I didn't know you could drink," Draco smirked at Hermione. "The Gryffindor princess knows how to handle her liquor?"

"That's an overstatement," Hermione scoffed. "But I like a nice glass of whisky now and then."

"Do you lot come here often?" Ginny looked around the table.

"Yeah," Theodore nodded. "We come every week to blow off some steam. What are you two doing out at a muggle bar?"

"Muggleborn, remember?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as the waitress returned with their drinks.

"Drink up!" Blaise passed around the shot glasses. "Alcohol makes everything better!"

"Cheers to that," Ginny replied, clinking her glass against his.

After a quick glance around the table, everyone threw back their drinks, looking at the reactions of everyone else.

As terrible as it tasted, no one wanted to break their facial expressions as a sign of weakness. After another awkward silence, they all burst out laughing, alleviating the tension.

"That was terrible," Hermione shook her head, signaling for the waitress. "Anyone else want a glass of water?"

"Me," Theo replied, pushing his shot glass away from him.

"Me too."

"Me."

"How about everyone just gets a water, yeah?" Draco spoke up as everyone nodded in agreement.

"So," Hermione turned back to the group after asking for their waters. "I've always seen you all around at the Ministry, even had to work with some of you," she directed a glance at Theo who shot her a small wink in return. "What have you all been up to?"

"Don't read the Daily Prophet?" Draco retorted bitterly. "It's all laid out there."

"I don't, actually," Hermione looked at him, meeting his eyes. "After all that rubbish they published while we were still in school," she shook her head in disgust. "It's hard to believe that anyone can trust what's being published in that rag."

"Right," Blaise chuckled. "How's your love affair with Harry Potter and Viktor Krum getting along?"

"Pretty good," Hermione nodded earnestly, sneaking a glance at Ginny who was trying her hardest not to laugh. "But I sometimes get the feeling that Harry is cheating on me with someone else."

"I'm sorry, 'Mione," Ginny reached across the table in mock repentance. "I should've told you ages ago, but Harry and I have been shagging pretty seriously the past couple of years."

"Oh, well," Hermione put a grimace on her face, reaching out to put her hand on top of Ginny's. "I'll get over it, I suppose. Viktor and I will just have to find someone else to share our bed."

"I'll volunteer," Blaise smirked at the girls who rolled their eyes at him.

"So," Theo leaned forward, resting his arms on the table to look at Hermione next to him. "Weasley is taken, _quite seriously_. How about you, Granger? Still with the Weasel?"

"Don't call him that," Hermione frowned, lightly hitting him on the arm. "But no, we broke up a while ago."

"Is that so," Draco's eyes glittered as he also leaned forward. "Seeing anyone, then, Granger?"

"No," Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do I get the feeling that I should be running away screaming?"

"You know," Blaise turned to Ginny casually. "Theo and Draco both actually carried quite the torch for Granger back at school."

"Well, I'm not surprised about Malfoy," Ginny responded conversationally, leaning back, crossing her arms. "The way he constantly teased her. Nott, though, I had no idea."

"Most of our conversations revolved around Granger," Blaise replied. "To be honest, I always felt like the odd one out, never having harbored a secret love for Granger. She's hot now, I have to admit," Blaise turned to look Hermione up and down, who huffed indignantly in return. "But their level of obsession was hard to understand."

"We're sitting _right here_ , you know," Draco glared at Blaise.

"Yeah, mate, it would be best for you to shut your mouth, right about now," Theo added.

"So," Hermione turned to look at Theo and Draco with a smirk on her face. "A crush?"

"Get over yourself, Granger," Draco replied, his eyes narrowed. "It's a common fantasy among teenage boys to nail the good girl, the mascot of her house, no less."

"That's your fantasy, mate, not mine," Theo countered, raising his eyebrows at Draco. "I just like smart and witty women. Although it does help that you're nice to look at too," he added, grinning at Hermione.

"Charming," Hermione deadpanned. "I think I'd like my whisky now. Where are our drinks?"

"Well, Hermione," Ginny piped up. "I think I'm going to turn in. I'd like to get a shag in before sleeping, and since you're in somewhat good company," she turned to the three men. "Keep her company, will you? She hasn't been out in ages and she needs to let off a little steam."

"Ginny!"

"Don't let her leave too early," Ginny ignored Hermione's protests, getting up from the table.

"Ginevra Weasley!" Hermione stood up, grabbing her friend by the arm.

"Excuse us for a moment," Ginny smiled sweetly at the men as Hermione dragged her away.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded. "What happened to staying out all night?"

"I think there's potential brewing somewhere here," Ginny replied slyly. "Potential that could achieve something amazing."

"What?!"

"Come on, Hermione," Ginny gestured towards the table. "Look at that table."

"Your point?" Hermione frowned, looking at their direction. At their stares, all three men raised a hand hello.

"Three, hopefully eligible, gorgeous men," Ginny winked back in their direction. "One woman who needs to let go and have a good time."

"Be serious, Ginny, those are three Pureblood Slytherins."

"Ah-ah," Ginny raised an eyebrow. "No judging! Weren't you the one voicing unity between all houses during your guest speech at Hogwarts last year?"

"That's not relevant," Hermione bit her lip.

"All jokes aside, Hermione," Ginny turned to face Hermione. "You deserve to have some fun. You've always been the proper, good one and I know you're more adventurous than you let people believe."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not saying you're not, you know, good and proper, but you should let loose a little! Have fun! Date around!"

"But with those three?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"You could do a lot worse, you know," Ginny laughed. "I mean, if I wasn't with Harry, I would be all in that mess."

"I'll be sure to tell that Harry that," Hermione laughed along, shaking her head. "Alright. I have a drink coming anyway, so, we'll see."

"Let me know how tonight goes!" Ginny patted her arm excitedly, "I want details if anything should happen tonight!"

"Ginny, nothing's going to happen," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It won't if you keep standing here, look, your drinks arrived," Ginny started pushing Hermione back towards the table. "I'm going to be busy shagging Harry into oblivion so don't call or anything unless it's an emergency!"

"Ugh, Ginny," Hermione wrinkled her nose, as they reached the table. "Too much."

"Bye, boys!"

The three men raised a hand goodbye before turning their attention back to Hermione as she stood there in front of the table.

"Well, Granger," Draco grinned slyly as the other two leaned back into the booth. "Are you up for the task of keeping three Slytherins company or is that just too much for you?"

"Too much?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, we can be too much to handle," Theo added, taking a sip of his whisky. "I'm sure even with your Gryffindor bravery, it might be a bit scary to keep in the company of snakes."

"Is that so?"

"Scared, Granger?" Blaise asked with a laugh..

Hermione's eyes narrowed as Theo got up from his seat, inviting her to sit in between him and Draco. Hermione took a few seconds to stare at the seat before sliding into the seat, Draco on her right and Theo on her left.

"Your drink," Blaise handed her a glass of whisky.

Hermione nodded her thanks before taking a large sip of her drink.

"In a hurry?" Draco leaned closer to her, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, you'll be sorry to know that it's not working," Hermione replied evenly before taking another sip.

"Well, damn," Theo sighed in mock defeat, throwing his arms up in the air. "Here we thought we were imposing and intimidating."

"Do your best," Hermione shrugged. "I'm not easily intimidated. Fought in a war and all that, you know."

"Is that a challenge?" Draco asked, amused.

Hermione turned her head to face him, an equally amused grin on her face, as she softly placed a hand on his thigh. "Are you up for it?"

"Careful," Draco replied, smirking. "Don't start something you won't finish."

"Feeling a bit left out here," Blaise cut in.

"Alright," Hermione removed her hand from Draco's leg before looking at the three of them, a look of concern passing over her face. "All joking aside, how have you all been?"

"Ugh," Draco leaned back into the seat. "Granger, do you know how many times we get asked that every day?"

"Well, it can't be easy, trying to build back your reputations," Hermione bit her lip, swirling her whisky in her glass. "And it's not like we've been keeping in touch or anything, mostly because the three of you were absolutely horrid in school."

"Who says we're not as horrid now as we were then?" Theo grinned, leaning back.

"Who says we were horrid?" Blaise frowned. "I never tormented anyone in school."

"No," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "But I'm fairly certain that most people don't like it when you shag them and leave them."

"To be fair, I never picked who I fucked based on their house or blood status."

"Blaise, you pretty much fucked whoever looked in your direction," Theo laughed. "Blood status, house, or gender be damned."

"Equal opportunity for all!"

"Wonderful," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Nice to know what you were up to during school."

"Jealous, Granger? I can show you what you've been missing out on while you were too busy taking down the Dark Lord and whatnot."

"I think I'll be ok without seeing _or_ knowing," Hermione replied before taking another large sip of her whisky. She knew she was never one to be intimidated, but the conversation kept swerving into unknown territory, making her just the tiniest bit uncomfortable,

Theo watched her, noticing the way her eyes constantly flitted about the room. Sensing her discomfort, he cleared his throat and gave the tiniest shake of his head when Blaise looked up.

Chuckling to himself quietly, Blaise reached forward to take a sip of his own drink.

"To answer your question, Granger," Theo spoke up. "Yes, many people hate us and yes it hasn't been easy, but we can hardly complain when we have money and resources at our disposal. The ones who you should be feeling sorry for are the reformed Death Eaters who were exonerated who don't have anything to give. If you have nothing to offer the Ministry, the entire wizarding community pretty much decides to consider you non-existent, if you're lucky, or beaten down if you're not lucky."

"Not that there are many," Draco added. "Most actual Death Eaters were Purebloods, Severus being one of the very few Halfbloods. Very few Halfbloods were forced to become Death Eaters. That doesn't mean that Voldemort didn't have a lot of Halfbloods who were sympathetic to his cause."

"Interesting," Hermione seemed to be deep in thought, all signs of discomfort gone, as she sipped on her drink again. She knew she was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, but rather than feeling sluggish, it was making her feel bolder as new ideas started to form in her mind.

"Granger," Draco lowered his drink, looking at Hermione through narrowed eyes. "That look on your face. Death Eaters don't need to be saved as if they were victims."

"Actually," Hermione's gaze sharpened as she turned to Draco. "What about the ones who were forced into the cause, not because they were Purebloods or Halfbloods, but because they were useful as something else?"

"What?" Blaise asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Draco and Theo glanced at each other before Theo spoke up.

"Granger, I know you've been working on werewolf rights, and that's…" Theo paused, searching for the right word. "Very Gryffindor of you, but you have to know that once they were changed, they were more than happy to maim and kill."

"But that's because they were under the leadership of _Greyback_ ," Hermione argued.

"Ok, mates," Blaise interrupted. "I came out for a night of fun, and this is not fun."

"Let me take you out to lunch on Monday, Granger," Theo turned to Hermione after rolling his eyes at Blaise. "And we can continue this conversation."

"Fine," Hermione glared at him, finishing off her whisky and setting the glass down a littler harder than she intended to. "I'll need at least a good hour to tell you exactly why you're wrong."

"Looking forward to it," Theo laughed lightly, shaking his head.

"Why are you all so pleasant now?" Hermione looked around the table. "It's both oddly comforting and unsettling at the same time. I don't know what to make of it."

"It could be that there's something we want," Draco grinned. "And you know what they say about Slytherins and a means to an end."

"That doesn't sound sinister at all," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"I don't know," Blaise winked at her. "You may benefit from it too."

"I want to know what 'it' is."

"All in good time, love."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Seeing so much interest in this story is motivating me to write more than I thought I would, so here's another chapter! Also, thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave a review! I actually appreciate it and I really am taking your reviews into account for this particular story. To **Black Rook** (sorry, I can't message you!), it usually isn't in my nature to have other people lead my stories, but as this is literally a work in progress, I will try and take suggestions/preferences into consideration (although I can't really promise it). As far as the pairings go, this version of Hermione I wrote up wouldn't be the type to jump into threesomes or foursomes, and as such, it probably won't happen. I also have never written that kind of scene before, so, although I'm not opposed to it happening, I'm not confident enough in my writing skills to make it seem believable (yet). I will, however, say that it is possible that she will sleep with all three of them. I really appreciate the thorough feedback, though!

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

The sound of something tapping at her window caused Hermione to slightly open her eyes, needing to adjust to the brightness of the sun streaming into room. The tapping seemed to pulse along with the throbbing in her head and the bright light made it seem like she was staring directly into the sun.

"Ugh," Hermione groaned, turning away from the window. How was she hungover when she didn't even get that drunk? She sat up slowly and looked over to her bedside table and reached for the glass of water.

Wait, glass of water?

She paused mid-sip, trying to remember when she got a glass of water. She lowered the glass, thinking back to the night. How did she even get home? Maybe she wasn't as sober as she thought she was.

Thinking was apparently not possible with the incessant tapping on her window.

"Oh, alright," Hermione huffed, getting out of her bed sluggishly. "Bloody owls."

She opened the latch on her window and was surprised to see more than one owl. She recognized Ginny's owl, Nike, but was surprised to see two owls she didn't recognize.

"Hi, Nike," Hermione took the letter from her leg before offering her a treat. "Wait just one moment, will you?" Hermione turned to the two other owls, taking their letters before giving them treats as well. The three owls stood perched on her windowsill as Hermione opened Ginny's letter.

 _Hermione-_

 _How did last night go? I want all the details! Can you stop by my and Harry's flat? Let me know!_

 _Ginny_

Hermione scrawled quickly on a piece of parchment, _'I'm coming over in around an hour, but don't be disappointed, because I can't really remember what happened'_.

She tied the letter back on Nike's leg and Nike flew off, leaving the two unknown owls waiting in anticipation as they ruffled their feathers.

"So expecting a response, are you?" Hermione muttered, raising an eyebrow before opening one letter.

 _Granger,_

 _Just wanted to make sure you're ok this morning. You were quite difficult to get home as you refused to tell us where you lived for a good half hour. Aren't you glad you finally caved? Felt a bit improper to undress you and change you into something more comfortable as that would require us to look through your things and also, you know, undress you, so we just left a glass of water next to your bed._

 _Looking forward to our lunch tomorrow, despite you making plans with Blaise today, not even an hour after we made lunch plans. Let me know if you're alive._

 _Theo_

 _P.S. Blaise may have actually gone through your belongings._

Hermione frowned, a million things rushing through her mind. At least she knew how she got home and where that water came from. But… Zabini looked through her things? She looked around her room to see if anything was out of place. Nothing seemed missing at her cursory glance and she looked back down at the letter.

Plans with Blaise? What plans?

She looked at the third letter and had the feeling that it was from Blaise about their 'plans' today. She quickly tore it open and scanned through it.

 _Hermione (I can call you that now, right?)_

 _I thought I should remind you of our little date today. Based on how pissed you were last night, there was a good chance that you wouldn't remember agreeing to it. Don't worry, we'll keep it nice and innocent. I'll be by around 2 PM._

 _Blaise_

Hermione bit her lip, grabbing for more parchment to reply to the two letters. She quickly wrote to Theo, telling him she was fine and thanks for getting her home safely, and then one to Blaise, letting him know she would be ready to leave by two.

A large part of her wanted to write to Blaise to back out, claiming she wasn't feeling well, but she was also very curious about what Zabini considered an innocent date.

"I guess I'll be finding out soon," Hermione muttered under her breath before heading into her bathroom for a much-needed shower followed by an inappropriate amount of aspirin.

Hermione stood in front of Harry and Ginny's flat, wringing her hands together nervously. She had no idea what to expect from today's visit. While it was Ginny's idea to have her mingle with the three former Slytherins, she didn't expect Harry to share that same enthusiasm, and she wondered if Ginny told Harry what they had been up to the night before.

"Hey, 'Mione," the door opened, revealing Harry, smiling at her amusedly. "Why didn't you just come through the Floo?"

"Hey, Harry," Hermione smiled back, rolling her eyes as Harry stepped aside to let her in. "I'm still traumatized by what I saw the last time I came through the Floo."

"Right," Harry laughed, grinning back at the memory. "But I mean, as long as you give us a heads up…"

"Really, knocking on your front door is not a hindrance to my everyday life."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and gestured to the kitchen table for her to sit down.

"I'm about to make some tea, do you want a cup?"

"Yes, please," Hermione sat down and looked around the kitchen. "Where's Ginny?"

"In the shower," Harry replied before turning to look at her curiously. "Ginny told me to expect her to be out all night last night but she came home surprisingly early. Staying out too late too much for you?"

"She didn't tell you what we did last night?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"She kind of ambushed me last night," said Harry, grinning widely. "What happened last night?"

"Well, she did warn me she was going to do that, I suppose," Hermione laughed. "If I tell you, will you promise to keep your head?"

Harry's eyes narrowed and he placed a cup of tea in front of her on the table before sitting next to her, sipping on his own cup.

"One sugar, just a small splash of milk?" asked Hermione, avoiding his gaze and lifting the cup to her lips.

"Of course," Harry replied evenly. "So, what is it?"

"We kind of ran into old schoolmates at the bar last night," said Hermione slowly. "And we talked for a bit, drank for a bit."

"Who?"

"Malfoy," Hermione bit her lip, glancing quickly at Harry. As expected, his face darkened, a scowl taking over his face. "And Nott and Zabini."

"Merlin, Hermione," Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you said schoolmates. They were not _mates_."

"They're not all that bad," Hermione reached up and fixed Harry's hair, flattening it. "They're still arrogant and think way too highly of themselves, but they've grown up a bit."

"Hermione," Harry turned in his chair to look at her in the eye. "These pricks were brought up their entire lives to hate muggleborns. Their families were actively supporting Voldemort when he was trying to _kill_ you and me. You were literally tortured _in Malfoy's home_."

"It's more complicated than that and you know it," said Hermione, folding her arms across her chest.

"Hermione," Harry fell back against his chair and threw his hands up in the air. "Let's not fight, okay? You all had drinks, left early, that's fine."

"Well," Hermione paused to take a sip of her tea. "Ginny left early."

Harry turned his head slowly, his gaze piercing through her own.

"It was my idea, Harry, leave her alone, you prat," Ginny entered the kitchen, casually picking up a cup for her own tea.

" _Your_ idea?!" Harry stared at Ginny.

"Yes," sighed Ginny, leaning against the kitchen counter. "They're three men who made mistakes in the past and are trying to make up for it," Ginny paused. "And they're all fit."

"Ginny!" Both Harry and Hermione shouted at the same time, one in exasperation and one in disgust.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny sat down next to her boyfriend, rubbing his arm. "You know Hermione hasn't seen anyone since the break-up with Ron."

"Yeah, but who exactly are you trying to set her up with out of those three? And why those three?"

"About that," Hermione looked at the time. "Zabini is picking me up at my place in about an hour."

"Zabini?" Harry stared at her. "That's who you chose?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't even remember agreeing to this date but I was apparently pretty pissed last night so," Hermione sighed. "But no, I'm not _choosing_ Zabini. I'm not choosing anyone. I'm trying not to take this too seriously, Harry. I'm just… going with the flow, as people would say."

"You, Hermione Granger, are just _going with the flow_ ," deadpanned Harry in disbelief.

"That's the plan, yes."

The three sat in silence before Hermione exhaled loudly.

"I don't expect you to be overjoyed with this, Harry, but they're so different from Ron and it's exciting and new and," Hermione rambled, her voice getting higher and higher. "And… and I have no idea what I'm doing and I have a lunch date with Nott tomorrow, too, and what do I do on dates, I don't even know what a proper date is as Ron and I just, you know, kind of fell together naturally and our dates consisted of just doing what we did as friends and the occasional sex, which also just happened because we thought it's expected after being together after a certain amount of time and—"

"Hermione," Ginny reached across Harry to gently put her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Breathe."

"Ok," Hermione nodded, breathing deeply. "Ok."

"I don't like the idea of you spending your time with these prats, but," said Harry with a resigned sigh. "You _are_ an adult and I can't stop you."

"You're smarter than people give you credit for," Hermione smirked.

"Are you secretly trying to test our friendship, 'Mione?" Harry scowled.

Hermione laughed, getting up from the table to give Harry a quick kiss on the cheek and doing the same to Ginny.

"I should go get ready, I'll see you later, Ginny," Hermione headed towards their floo, shouting behind her. "And I'll see you at work tomorrow, Harry!"

Ginny and Harry both waited for the sound of the floo before looking at each other.

" _Your_ idea?" said Harry accusingly at Ginny who laughed in return before jumping into his lap, straddling him.

"Get over it and kiss me," Ginny ran a hand through his hair as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist instinctively.

"And reward you for this terrible idea?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"You think you can hold out on me?" Ginny grinned, leaning closer into his chest.

"I do have some self-control, you know."

Ginny said nothing and slowly traced a finger down his chest as she slightly shifted in his lap, making sure to rub against his crotch.

"Fuck, Ginny," Harry gritted his teeth as Ginny smirked at him.

"You were saying?"

Hermione paced back and forth in her living area, thoughts racing through her head.

Was being casual always this stressful? Was she properly dressed for an afternoon outing? How late were they planning on being out? Should she bring a cardigan if it got chilly later at night? What could they possibly do that would have them staying out late into the night?

The sound of someone knocking on the door caused Hermione to snap out of her thoughts. Was it already two? Hermione looked at the clock to see that it was indeed exactly two o'clock in the afternoon. Trying not to appear nervous, Hermione plastered a small smile on her face and opened the door.

Maybe it was because she didn't get a good look in the dark bar, but she was thrown off a bit by how handsome Blaise looked standing on her doorstep.

He was dressed in what could only be described as 'stylishly casual' in black jeans, grey heathered t-shirt and a thin bomber jacket. His perfectly arched eyebrows and smirk caused Hermione to stop short, at a loss for words. How did she never notice him at school?

Right. Voldemort. Saving the world. And he was a Slytherin which meant she would've never given him a second glance at school.

"Alright there, Granger?" Blaise asked after allowing the silence to run on for a few seconds.

"You look, er, nice," Hermione finally spoke after clearing her throat.

"You look more than nice," said Blaise as Hermione shut the door behind her. Hermione said nothing but gave him a small smile. She felt a bit silly in her white sundress and felt like they were playing into a terrible cliché: the dark and handsome man with the innocent an inexperienced girl in virginal white.

"Is something wrong?"

Hermione looked up at him, shaking her head. "No, I'm just wondering what we're doing today."

"Well, have you had lunch yet?" Blaise asked.

"No," said Hermione truthfully. She had been too nervous to even think about eating.

"Then let's start with lunch," Blaise suggested as they started to walk towards a more inconspicuous area to apparate. "I was thinking that maybe we can stay in the muggle part of London to avoid unwanted attention."

"Oh, then," Hermione stopped short, putting a hand on his arm to stop him. "Then there's actually a place close by that we can walk to that's only five minutes away from here."

"Your call, love," Blaise chuckled. "Lead the way."

"I also get my coffee from there every morning before work," said Hermione as the two set off on a leisurely pace.

"Coffee and not tea?" Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Not very British of you."

"Something about coffee in the morning just makes my mornings feel _right_ ," said Hermione. "Of course, tea is for every other time of the day."

"Hm, I'll have to keep that in mind."

The two walked in silence, and Hermione was almost sure that this was a completely different person than Blaise Zabini.

"Zabini?"

"You can call me Blaise, you know," Blaise turned and grinned at her.

"Fine, Blaise. You seem very different from yesterday. It's kind of freaking me out."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Hermione frowned. "You're not as… inappropriate."

"I'm actually very tempted to be inappropriate but you seem extremely nervous and uncomfortable so I'm trying my best not to scare you off," Blaise laughed at her deepening frown.

"You could tell? How?"

"You think you can hide your emotions but I can practically see the tension rolling off you," Blaise smirked. "You're walking a bit stiffly and you keep wringing your hands," Blaise paused for a moment before looking down at her lips. "You also keep biting your lips, which makes me take notice of them, which _then_ makes me want to be the one biting them."

"There we go," Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "I think I'm more comfortable when you're _not_ being weirdly polite."

"Duly noted," Blaise replied, slipping an arm around her waist. "Been wanting to do that since I laid eyes on you at the bar, Granger."

"If I call you Blaise you have to call me Hermione," Hermione grinned, only a little unsettled about how nice it felt to have Blaise's arm around her. She barely knew the man but she couldn't deny the fact his easy-going intimacy caused her to somehow be more comfortable and aroused at the same time.

After being in a relationship that turned serious too fast and too hard, it felt nice to just casually go out with a stranger who didn't know every detail about her life.

There are no obligations, no inquiring about 'where the relationship is headed', because this isn't a relationship. It's a date. No strings attached. Not exclusive.

Hermione grinned to herself. Maybe she could actually get used to this.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Well, here's another one! Just a heads up, I don't know if I'll be able to update next week due to finals but we'll see if inspiration claws its way out of my head. Once again, hugs and kisses to those of you who followed/favorited/reviewed!

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

"How's your food?" asked Hermione, grinning, watching Blaise pick the onions out of his sandwich.

"I'm not a picky eater," Blaise replied nonchalantly, his gaze fixed on his sandwich. "I just have days when I don't feel like eating certain things."

"So you're not a committed picky eater."

"If you say so."

Hermione took a bite out of her own sandwich, watching Blaise thoughtfully. The lunch had been pretty tame so far: a light lunch with superficial conversations about work and their days in school. Unsurprisingly, they led very different school lives.

"You're staring, Hermione," Blaise looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "See something you like?"

"You know, the more you flirt, the less effective it becomes," Hermione shrugged. "It's like flirty banter is the only kind of conversation you know, so it's going to become somewhat of a standard kind of conversation when talking to you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Blaise said thoughtfully. "But then again, didn't you just say that this made you more comfortable? On a completely related note, flirty banter is also what gets me laid."

"Right," Hermione sighed. They were going nowhere with this conversation. She barely knew him, and he was right: it unsettled her when he was being serious and polite but superficial banter also felt like a barrier to getting to actually know him as a person. She honestly didn't know what she wanted. Why did she agree to this, again? Right. The dangers of making plans while drunk.

"Give it time," Blaise put down his food, cleaning his hands with the napkin.

"Sorry?"

"If you came out looking for some in-depth conversation where I tell you all about my life and the choices I made, you really don't know how first dates work."

"I don't expect you to spill your inner-most secrets, _Zabini_ ," Hermione rolled her eyes, emphasizing his surname. "But you have to admit, considering who you are and who I am, it would be naïve to assume that I won't eventually ask what this," she gestured between them. "is."

"An experiment, _Hermione_."

"Oh, thanks. Care to elaborate?"

"Nope," Blaise shot her a cheeky grin, making a move to stand up. "Are you done eating?"

"Yes," Hermione looked down at her half-eaten sandwich, her appetite all but forgotten. "I'm not going to stop asking, you know."

"Wouldn't expect any less from you."

"So you might as well just tell me now," Hermione pressed on, standing up as well, reaching for her purse.

"No need for that," Blaise ignored her statement, putting a hand over hers to stop her from paying. "I asked you to come out today, so I'll pay for this. You can get it next time."

"Next time?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit presumptuous, don't you think?"

"Can't help but be optimistic about my chances," Blaise grinned, leaving money on the table, maybe a bit too much money considering he still didn't really know how muggle money worked.

"You know you just about tipped a hundred percent?" said Hermione, amused.

"They've earned it," Blaise replied nonchalantly as he left the small cafe. Damn, that was a lot.

"If you say so," Hermione shrugged, following him out. "What next?"

"I'm in the mood for some ice cream," Blaise looked around the street. "It's bloody hot today."

"Well, you are wearing a jacket."

"It's my aesthetic."

"Of course."

"Be helpful, love, and find me some damn ice cream."

Hermione laughed at his furrowed brows and slightly irritated expression on his usually calm face.

"Right down here," she started to walk towards the direction of the closest ice cream shop.

It had been… something, Hermione mused. It was now late into the evening and she was sitting in front of her television, turned on for background noise more than anything. She held a cup of hot tea in her hands, her legs curled up along the length of the couch as she stared at the screen, her eyes unfocused.

After getting ice cream, they had sat down in front of a small fountain in the middle of a small park near her flat. She had once again, unsuccessfully, tried to get Blaise to explain what he meant by an experiment, and although she had been relentless, he had been equally as stubborn in keeping his mouth firmly shut on that subject, keeping a cool and relaxed façade.

After a while, she had given up, opting to instead sit in silence. Instead of being his usual talkative self, Blaise had also stayed silent, watching the people in his line of view with curiosity.

Not wanting to be the one to break the silence, Hermione glanced to her side to look at Blaise. His face gave no indication that he noticed her looking at him, and he continued to gaze straight ahead at a woman talking into a device.

"You're staring again," Blaise said after a few minutes.

"So are you," Hermione followed his gaze to the woman.

"What is she talking to?" Blaise asked curiously.

"It's a mobile phone," Hermione replied shortly, still annoyed.

"What?"

"Purebloods," Hermione muttered. "Living in the same space and breathing the same air as everyone else but so ignorant about everything that goes on around them."

Blaise's eyes flashed a little at her words but otherwise remained stoic and still.

"A bit unfair, don't you think?" Blaise gave Hermione a tight-lipped smile.

"Right," Hermione replied. "Except maybe it's not. Did I say something that wasn't true?"

Blaise took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck as he willed himself not to reply. She was undeniably right, but there was also… no, he brushed the thought away.

"Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Maybe," Hermione nodded after a few seconds of silence. "It's just that this is quite sudden."

"That's why I wanted to have this date during the day," Blaise sighed. "I thought it would be more casual and light. I see, now, that you're really not one who does casual and light."

"Hey," Hermione frowned. "I think anyone would be uncomfortable going out on an unexpected date with someone he or she considered an enemy for many years."

"I'm not your enemy, Hermione," Blaise replied, looking straight at her. "I won't lie and say I didn't consider you below me when we were at school, but I have never actively been out for your blood."

"It's a bit disappointing to hear you say that as if it's any better. It just implies that you didn't even think me important enough to care about."

"Work with me," Blaise exhaled. "I'm bloody trying."

"I can't work with you if I don't know what you're doing," Hermione argued.

"I think it's time to end this date."

"Fine," Hermione stood up.

Slowly swirling the tea in her cup, Hermione thought back to how the date began and ended. She wildly misjudged how the day was going to go. She was fine with the concept of casual dating, hell, she had even been excited for it. What she did not anticipate was that casual dating most likely meant that everything about her relationships would be superficial and shallow. She closed her eyes and groaned at how awkwardly they left the park.

But… that wasn't exactly the end of the date. Blaise had decided to walk her back to her flat, and once again they walked in silence.

"You don't have to walk me back, you know," Hermione finally spoke.

"It's fine," Blaise replied. "It's not like you live far from here."

"Well, this was…" Hermione trailed off, unsure of what word to use to describe this date.

"Different?" Blaise offered, softly chuckling.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Hermione grinned wryly.

"Granger."

"I thought you were supposed to call me Hermione," Hermione raised an eyebrow at him as they reached the front of her flat.

"Right, Hermione," Blaise put his hands in his pocket as she turned to him, biting her lip awkwardly. "This is obviously new for you but this is also new to me."

"What part of this is new for you? Dating a muggleborn?" Hermione looked up at him curiously.

"Dating, in general, actually," Blaise replied, leaning against his side on the door. "Well, I've been on dates but this is the first time I've ever taken a girl out during the day without the intention of getting her into bed."

"Hm, I'm equal parts flattered and disgusted," Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"Not that we won't get there," Blaise smirked.

Hermione didn't say anything for a few seconds, an amused expression on her face.

"You think this date warrants a second date?"

"You can't say that this was the worst date you've had."

"Actually, yes, I can, because this was my first date since Ron."

"Well, damn," Blaise groaned, now leaning fully against the door. The two stood there, Hermione wondering how she was supposed to get into her flat while Blaise was blocking the door. She felt it would be a bit rude to tell him to move.

"Then fine," Blaise spoke after a moment, turning his body again to face Hermione. "This might have been a shit date but let's just call this a trial run."

"I'll think about it," Hermione grinned. "I have my lunch date with Nott tomorrow, although…" Hermione paused. She couldn't recall him ever specifying whether or not it was a date. Was it just a lunch between co-workers? As friends? Was she over-thinking this again?

"Although...?" Blaise repeated, waiting for Hermione to finish her sentence.

"I don't know if it's supposed to be a date," Hermione admitted. "It was planned based on the premise of finishing an argument."

"It's a date," Blaise replied immediately.

"And you would know because…?"

"Because Theo was a bit annoyed that I managed to take you out first," said Blaise, grinning triumphantly.

"This isn't some stupid competition or anything like that, is it?" Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Of course it's a competition," Blaise replied, seemingly completely blasé.

" _Look_ , Zabini," Hermione pressed her index finger against his chest, her voice frosty. "I'm not some prize to be won or some object that needs to be claimed."

Blaise just looked down at her with his usual calm demeanor, a smirk forming on his face, causing her temper to flare more.

"Am I clear?" Hermione scowled.

"Perfectly," Blaise replied. "But we are all genuinely interested in you, Hermione. All three of us. We haven't exactly shared the reasons with each other but we know enough."

"Three?" Hermione's brows furrowed. "Malfoy?"

"That's the one," Blaise grinned slyly.

"He hasn't contacted me at all."

"He has his ways," Blaise shrugged.

"Well," Hermione looked past Blaise at the door behind him. "If that's it…"

"Right," Blaise chuckled, stepping out of the way.

"Today was, er, interesting," Hermione smiled at him awkwardly. "I'll think about that second date."

"Normally, I wouldn't feel the need to ask but seeing how it was a shit date," Blaise paused. "Can I leave you with something that might help me with that second date?"

"What?" Hermione looked at him blankly. "Like… a gift?"

"Of sorts," Blaise grinned.

"Uh, really, I don't think that's needed," Hermione laughed awkwardly. "I would rather you not spend money on me because everything I want or need, I can get myself. I appreciate the sentiment but—"

"It didn't, or rather it doesn't, cost me anything," Blaise interrupted her rant with an amused grin.

"Ok, the riddle is getting a bit old, now."

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes," Hermione huffed impatiently. "For Merlin's sake, get on with—"

Blaise's grin widened before he quickly stepped closer to Hermione, grabbing her waist with one arm and putting the other hand behind her head.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock, unable to move. As quick as Blaise grabbed her, he was sensuously languid as he moved in closer, the grin on his face fading as his eyes bore into hers.

"Last chance to decline," Blaise murmured, his eyes slowly trailing down to her parted lips.

Hermione stared into his dark eyes, her heart suddenly pounding much too fast and much too hard. It was probably only a few seconds but those seconds felt like minutes as her mind suddenly went blank. All she could see were the dark depths that were his eyes, eyes that were suddenly devoid of mirth and full of something intense and… something else.

Without a word, Hermione slowly leaned into him as he tilted his head down. Still not believing it was real, Hermione's eyes didn't close as they leaned in to each other, but instead strayed down to his lips.

They were only mere millimeters away when Blaise slightly paused before Hermione also reached around to grab the back of his head, pulling him in.

As flirtatious and crass Hermione believed Blaise to be, his kiss was nothing but sweet and surprisingly gentle. Her eyes closed as his lips moved against hers, almost achingly chaste. After just a few short seconds, Blaise pulled back. Hermione opened her eyes and stepped back, her eyes moving quickly from his lips to his eyes. He was grinning widely at her, but his eyes were still intense, focused on her.

Clearing her throat, Hermione let out a shaky laugh.

"So, your kisses are gifts, then?"

"Well, let's just call this particular one a pre-gift, if you will. A preview of something even better," Blaise replied with a smirk. "Bye, _Hermione_."

"Good-bye, _Blaise_ ," Hermione said with her own smirk before turning around to open the door to her flat. Blaise stood in his spot, staring at her for a few seconds before turning on his heels.

Her tea was now cold. She went over the last few moments of their date repeatedly in her head, trying to decide who technically initiated that kiss. He did imply that he was going to kiss her, he did lean in, but so did she. _But_ , Hermione mentally groaned, _I was the one to pull him down, wasn't I?_ She then groaned out loud, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to lean against her couch.

Honestly, she had only kissed two, now three, men in her life. Viktor, Ron, and now Blaise. Technically, Viktor was her first kiss, and it was so quick and short that she honestly didn't know whether or not it counted as a kiss. With Ron… the kisses were always so lovely and warm and so familiar. It was just the next step to their growing intimacy. Their first kiss was indeed passionate and emotional, but that was also fueled by their adrenaline during the war. Oh, God. What would Ron think about her kissing Blaise? Not even as her ex-boyfriend but as one of her best friends? Although… it was a fairly innocent kiss.

 _A preview of something better_. Hermione felt her stomach turn in… anticipation? New experiences indeed.

"I may have fucked up a bit with Granger," Blaise exhaled loudly, falling into an armchair with a glass of firewhisky in hand.

"Can't say I feel sorry for you, mate," Draco replied as he sipped on his own drink, staring into the fireplace. "Or surprised, really."

"Sod off," Blaise scowled, looking around the room they were sitting in. It used to be Lucius Malfoy's study, but as he was in Azkaban, Draco had decided to use it for his meetings with his guests when he stayed at the manor. Since the war, Draco steered clear of the drawing room, unable to stay in that space for more than a few seconds without wanting to heave.

"It's odd that this place used to scare the shit out of me," Blaise commented, changing the subject. "Whenever your father used to call us in here, it was usually to rip us a new one."

"Just _this_ room fills you with fear?" Draco scoffed. "Try every other damn room when you had to live with V-voldemort."

Draco immediately took a large sip of his whisky while Blaise pretended not to notice the stutter. It bothered him to even hear it, let alone say it himself.

"Such bullshit," Draco muttered. "How is saying his fucking _name_ supposed to help?"

"Technically, his name was Tom Riddle."

"You know what I mean," Draco scowled in annoyance.

"I don't know," Blaise shrugged. "We're only giving him power when we fear the name he gave himself to do just that: incite fear."

"Right," Draco sighed, leaning back farther into his chair. "Fear overtakes our life, dictates our every move…"

"If that's not a subtle way of saying we're bloody cowards, then I don't know what is," Blaise's eyes unfocused as he stared right into the bright flames of the fireplace.

"Weren't we, though?" Draco muttered under his breath, his gaze also fixed on the fire.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Sorry about how long this took! I just finished my finals but my summer semester also starts next week, so, depending on how demanding the class is, my updates may still be a bit sporadic. I also just realized my formatting of these chapters aren't really transferring properly in that scenes that are supposed to be separate seem to be continued scenes based on the spacing. Well, anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Hermione rummaged through a rather large pile of papers on her desk, all letters from concerned wizards and witches regarding her unorthodox proposals and drafts of legislation pertaining to werewolf rights. While the larger part of the community was coming to understand that werewolves were indeed people, there were still many concerns. One issue, in particular, was the access and limited availability to the Wolfsbane potion. As many werewolves found it difficult to secure proper jobs, it made it near impossible for the werewolves to be able to afford the potion.

Lost in her thoughts and her skimming through the various parchment, she didn't hear or notice the soft knocks on her door.

"Granger?" The door opened slightly, Theo's head poking in through the room. "Are you busy?"

"Hm?" Hermione answered distractedly, her eyes still focused on the letter before her. Preposterous?! That werewolves should get the care they need? Hermione felt a spike in her irritation, her eyes narrowing as she continued reading on the highly insulting letter.

Theo cleared his throat noisily and Hermione's focus snapped on the intruder in her office, her face clearly expressing her annoyance.

"Oh," Hermione blinked, her irritation all but disappearing, replaced with a slight shock. "Is it lunch time already?"

"Well," Theo looked at the time. "A little past the usual lunch hour since I was also backed up with work, but I'm a bit disappointed to see that you were also too busy to notice my glaring absence."

"Well, I had to distract myself somehow, seeing as how thinking about you takes up most of my time," Hermione replied sarcastically, getting up while shuffling the papers back into a neat pile. "Where should we go?"

"I originally wanted to take you out somewhere nice, but I really do have to be back in the office in an hour so I'm afraid I don't have much time," Theo said apologetically.

"That's fine," Hermione smiled. "I also have some things to catch up on and I'm anxious to get back to my office, honestly."

"Hopefully not so anxious that you can't enjoy a break," Theo raised an eyebrow. "Don't want you to be thinking about how much you want to go back to work when you're having lunch with me."

"I'll try not to think about how much I love my work," Hermione laughed, grabbing her coat. "Is it okay, then, to just go to that small café just down the street?"

"Fine with me," Theo turned towards the door to see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walking in their direction.

"Oh, no," Hermione caught sight of her two best friends as she peeked over Theo's side.

"Haven't told them about our lunch date, have you?" Theo whispered. Potter didn't look too surprised, just wary, but Weasley's eyebrows were narrowed in confusion and disgust.

"Well, Harry knows," Hermione whispered back, stepping out in front of Theo.

"Harry, Ron," Hermione said a little too cheerfully. "Wasn't expecting you to drop by."

"Thought you'd be back from your lunch by now," Harry replied evenly. He nodded his head towards Theo. "Nott."

"Potter," Theo nodded back, his hands in his pockets.

"I haven't gone yet," Hermione smiled awkwardly. "We were just about to leave, actually."

"We?" Ron finally spoke up, ignoring Theo's presence.

"Look, Ron, I'll come find you after lunch, but we haven't got much time left to eat and I'm starving, so," Hermione grabbed Theo's arm while shooting her two friends apologetic looks. "I'll be back in about an hour!"

Harry and Ron were left to stand there, speechless.

"Oh, I haven't got time for all this," Hermione huffed as they walked out onto the streets.

"They probably do deserve an explanation, though, Granger," Theo looked at her amusedly. "It's all great fun for me to see the two there with dumbfounded looks on their faces, but I reckon you care more about how they feel than I do."

"I know," Hermione sighed resignedly. "It's still a bit odd for me too, though. I can't seem to fully wrap my head around all this."

"Two dates in a row too much for you?" Theo asked, grinning.

"Two dates in a row with two different men," Hermione replied, thinking out loud. "And not just any two men, two former Vol—"

Hermione stopped speaking mid-name and looked sharply to her side to see Theo staring straight ahead at the streets, no expression visible on his face.

"Finish your sentence, will you, Granger?" Theo glanced down to see Hermione looking at him worriedly.

"Sorry, I just," Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not wrong, am I?"

"No," Theo stopped to open the door to the cafe, gesturing to Hermione to step in first. "Which makes me wonder why it is that you agreed to meet me."

Hermione didn't reply right away as they were seated by the window. After being handed their menus, they sat in silence for a few minutes as they perused the menu.

"Why did the two of you want to take me out?" Hermione finally asked, her eyes still trained on her menu.

"I believe I asked you first."

"It's simple, really," Hermione looked up and found that Theo's eyes were intensely focused on her. She cleared her throat, maintaining eye contact. "I was curious."

"Curious?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Hermione reached for her water. "I've been hearing things around the office."

"Office gossip?"

"Not really gossip," Hermione bit her lip. "Just… surprised at how many people thought so highly of you."

"I see," Theo tensed. "Any particular reason why they do?"

"No," Hermione frowned at how stiff he looked. "Just your personality in general and about how hard you've been working. Couldn't have been easy trying to become an Auror after the war."

"Right," Theo exhaled before taking a large sip of water, suddenly relieved by the presence of their waiter. They each ordered their lunch before Hermione looked at Theo pointedly.

"Your turn."

"What?"

"Why you wanted to take me out," Hermione leaned forward.

"Didn't Blaise already tell you that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You expect me to believe that you liked me back in school?"

"I did," Theo shrugged nonchalantly. "You were smart, outspoken, and a bit naughty."

"Excuse me?" Hermione laughed incredulously.

"You can't tell me that you didn't break a few rules while at Hogwarts," Theo said with a sly smile. "If even half the rumors I heard at school were true, you, Potter, and Weasley probably broke the most rules out of all of us."

"And Malfoy?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

Theo's expression darkened and Hermione immediately knew that Malfoy wasn't a topic that Theo wanted to discuss.

"Draco… had an unfortunate series of bad choices," Theo replied calmly. "It's not like he had a variety of choices available to him… but let's not talk about him."

Hermione nodded and looked down at the food the waiter had dropped off.

"I'm sorry," Theo sighed. "This isn't quite the way I expected the conversation to go."

"It's fine," Hermione smiled weakly. "I shouldn't have been talking about your friend like that."

"You didn't really say anything."

"The implication."

Theo smiled back tightly before clearing his throat. "Now about those werewolves…"

Hermione smiled widely. This was what they were here to talk about and this was a conversation that she knew she had under control.

After their lunch and spirited debate about werewolves, Theo walked Hermione back into her office, both of them grinning widely. Hermione because she won the debate, Theo because her smile was infectious and put him in a good mood despite losing their debate.

"That was fun," Hermione looked up at Theo, her eyes twinkling.

"It was only fun for you because you won," Theo chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll get the next win."

"Right," Hermione cocked her head to the side. "Good luck with that."

"You do realize that this side of you is the side that I'm most attracted to?"

"What?" Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"This confident, bright woman," Theo replied honestly.

"If you're trying to throw me off," Hermione paused a moment. "It's actually working."

Theo laughed out loud before stepping in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You've discovered my evil plot," he whispered in her ear.

Hermione tried not to blush at the feel of his lips so close to her and she instinctively stepped back, hitting the front of her desk. Theo grinned at her mischievously as he stepped back towards the door.

"I've got to get back to work but I enjoyed our lunch, Granger," Theo gave her a genuine smile, making his eyes crinkle a bit. Hermione felt her heart jump.

"I did, too, and it's Hermione," she replied, trying to keep her voice level. "You can call me Hermione."

"Right then," Theo nodded his head. "I'll see you around, Hermione."

"Right," Hermione smiled at him softly, watching him walk away. She stood there for some time before remembering that she told Ron that she'd visit him after lunch. With a groan she hurriedly rushed out of her office and to a lift to get to his floor.

"Ron?" Hermione knocked on his office door.

"Come in," his voice was muffled but Hermione could already tell that he was not in a good mood. She opened the door and was surprised to see Harry sitting in one of the two chairs in front of Ron's desk.

"Harry?" Hermione frowned. "Do you not have work to do?"

"Well, considering," Harry glanced at Ron. "You know, Ron. You. Nott. Temper."

"I'm right here," Ron rolled his eyes. "And excuse me for being bloody surprised about my muggle-born ex-girlfriend going out for lunch with a former Slytherin and Death Eater."

"Technically…" Hermione started to speak but was silenced by Harry's quick shake of his head. "Right."

"So I've already told him that this started with the night-out with Ginny," Harry said quickly.

"Ginny," Ron muttered. "Betrayed by my own bloody sister."

"I think," Harry spoke up again, trying to keep things level. "We just need to know what is going on and, honestly, I still don't get why."

"I'm just," Hermione sighed and sat down in the chair next to Harry. "I'm just dating around. That's all."

"But why Nott?" Ron asked, scowling. "Why's it have to be him? And don't say it's because I'm jealous or something because even Harry thinks it's weird that you're out with him."

"I should just get this out of the way," Hermione leaned forward, bringing her fingers up to her temples to try and ease the headache that she felt coming. "I went out with Zabini yesterday."

There was an odd, tense silence that followed her statement where Ron sat stiffly for a moment while Hermione and Harry gauged his reaction.

"Moving quite a bit quickly, there, aren't you?" Ron finally spoke out spitefully.

"And what has that got to do with you?" Hermione fired back.

"Hermione, these are all people who supported Voldemort back during the war," Harry tried to reason with her. "How can you expect us to be fine with it? How can _you_ be fine with it? I'm not trying to really talk you out of it but you're going to have to try and reason with us."

"It's hard to explain," Hermione looked down at the ground, avoiding the direct glare that Ron was throwing her way. "It was technically by chance, meeting them all at that bar, but I'd be lying if I wasn't the little bit curious as to whether or not there was truth behind some things I heard around."

"Like what?"

"It's just some small things, like people telling me how polite and kind they were," Hermione said slowly. "But then I also heard some things about how someone saw them paying respects to the casualties of war. The people who were on our side. The innocent bystanders who were caught in the crossfire," Hermione lifted her gaze up to Ron and then to Harry.

"They have no right," Ron said through gritted teeth. Harry said nothing but Hermione noticed the way his fists were clenched.

"It wasn't just the one time," Hermione continued, her voice softer. "I kept hearing these kinds of things floating around. Of course, some people were mentioning these kinds of things spitefully," she looked pointedly at Ron. "But nonetheless… it's something."

"And how are they justifying how they treated you?" Harry asked.

"Well, they haven't really said anything about that," Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Although Nott and Zabini didn't really antagonize me the way Malfoy or Parkinson did. They just… kind of…"

"Ignored your existence?" Ron spoke up sarcastically.

"Yes," Hermione said with a sigh, exasperated. "But that was so long ago. Why are we so stuck in the past?"

"Hermione," Harry leaned towards her, his eyes narrowing. "You were _tortured_. And these two were affiliated with the people who tortured you. People who were hell-bent on killing us."

"You mentioned the torture already, Harry," Hermione tried not to let her voice falter. She would be lying if she said she didn't still have nightmares about that night.

"And you replied with 'it's complicated'," Harry reminded her.

"Anything to do with a war is complicated," Hermione argued. "You can't make it black and white, Harry. Sure, I do believe that we were fighting for the right side but the Order wasn't completely innocent either. Bellatrix Lestrange was the one to torture me. And she's dead. It has nothing to do with Nott or Zabini."

"And Malfoy?" Harry pressed. "You mentioned you saw him that night at the bar, too."

"Malfoy?" Ron looked between Harry and Hermione. "You didn't mention anything about Malfoy. For fuck's sake, Hermione, are you dating Draco bloody Malfoy, too?!"

"No," Hermione replied sharply. "I mean, he hasn't… not that… I—"

"Hermione," Ron's eyes narrowed.

"Who I date isn't something that needs to be regulated by you two," Hermione stood up from her chair. "Of course, if something serious ever develops… of course I want you to approve but for right now, nothing is set in stone. Please, don't worry about me."

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Harry said gently.

"I hope you know that I'll never approve of this," Ron said sharply. "Merlin, Hermione, it's like you're deliberately trying to hurt Harry and me _and_ yourself. This can't be healthy."

"I know it's… hard for you to understand and I don't even fully understand what I'm doing but," Hermione exhaled. "I just _know_ that those three are different now. They're not the same as they were back in school. I mean, _we're_ not the same as we were back in school."

"One last thing," Harry stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. "How do you know that they're not just using you to gain public favor?"

"I don't," Hermione sighed. "But I'm pretty sure the media is still out to get me, so if that is their plan, it's a rather terrible one."

"Be careful, Hermione," Ron sighed, slumped over his desk. "I don't trust any of them."

"I know, Ron," Hermione replied with a tight-lipped smile. "I can only hope that my gut feeling is right and prove you wrong."

"Like you haven't done that enough already," Ron cracked a small smile. Hermione let out a soft laugh before giving Harry a hug.

"Say hi to Ginny for me," Hermione tried to smile reassuringly at Harry who still looked at her with apprehension. "And stop worrying."

"It's hard not to worry," Harry replied. "But I'll try."

"Alright," Hermione stepped back towards the door. "I have a lot of work to catch up on. I'd suggest you also get back to work, Auror Potter."

"Right, I just have a couple of things to sort out here with Ron," Harry smiled. "See you later, 'Mione."

Hermione smiled back before leaving Ron's office. She let out a deep breath, somewhat relieved of some of the stress that had been hanging over her head. She hadn't expected Ron or Harry to be particularly thrilled about her choices as of late, but… Hermione grinned to herself. Maybe they were all really growing up.

"About time," Hermione muttered to herself as she walked towards a lift.

"Granger."

Hermione looked to her side to see Malfoy walking towards her. She had seen Malfoy occasionally around the Ministry building but they had never interacted with each other at work. How could one night at a bar break so many barriers?

"Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

"I work here, Granger," Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I meant this floor," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't you work on level five?"

"Had a meeting," Draco shrugged. "Stopped by to greet Weasley, did you?"

"Ron and Harry wanted to talk," Hermione replied nonchalantly as they waited for the lift.

"I see."

"Malfoy, you've never talked to me at work," Hermione said awkwardly. "You don't have to talk to me just because of Nott and Zabini."

"How were your dates?" asked Draco.

Hermione looked at Draco suspiciously. Of course, being the perfect Slytherin, his face was void of any kind of expression. He just looked a bit… bored.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to know what I'm going up against."

"What does that mean?"

"We're all mates," Draco turned to face her, his grey eyes boring into hers. Although his face was devoid of expression, his eyes were so intensely focused on hers she felt that she couldn't look away. "But we know that all three of us are attracted to the same woman."

"Why now?" Hermione narrowed her eyes despite the flush spreading throughout her body at his words and the intensity of his gaze.

"Because now we know that you're attracted to us, too," Draco replied with a smirk.

"Well, 'attracted' is a bit strong," Hermione retorted with a scoff, leaning against the wall behind her.

"I recall a rather flirty Gryffindor at the bar that night."

"A Gryffindor under the influence of alcohol."

"Fancy a drink, Gryffindor Princess?" Draco stepped closer to Hermione, that wicked smirk still gracing his aristocratic features.

"With the Prince of Slytherin? I'd have to think about that," Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to seem unaffected by their conversation. The talk with Ron and Harry was still present in the back of her mind. Malfoy had antagonized her all throughout school, was tortured in his home by his _aunt_ … Hermione looked at Draco who kept his gaze steadily on her. She had never really had the chance to properly look at him up close, and now that she did… she would be lying to herself if she didn't find his eyes mesmerizing. They were intense but there was something else there… something that seemed to be warring with the intensity, some kind of suppression.

They stood in silence for a few seconds, just studying each other before Draco stepped in even closer to Hermione. Her heart raced as the coolness she felt pressed against her back reminded her that she couldn't even step back as he drew closer. Bracing herself for anything that could happen (was he going to kiss her? Hex her?) Hermione kept her gaze locked onto his defiantly as he reached an arm around her… and pressed the button for the lift.

Draco stepped back out of her personal space, grinning, and Hermione resisted the urge to exhale at the relief of the tension she felt.

"Going down, too, right?" Draco asked, that amused grin still on his face.

"Right," Hermione replied distractedly, trying to sort out the whirlwind of thoughts in her head.

What had just happened?


End file.
